Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Certification
Hobbies and Interests
Timeline
Generic
LAURALEI COMBS

LAURALEI COMBS

Friday Harbor,WA

Summary

Visionary, personable, and highly adaptable professional with over 20 years of specialized, progressively responsible experience and a lifelong passion for community engagement. Demonstrates creative and analytical focus on community safety and engagement, developing innovative lifesaving programs. Sets clear and elevated expectations, promoting trust and transparency to achieve individual and organizational goals. Possesses strong administrative skills in budget administration, HR management, and navigating large organizational systems.

Overview

23
23
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification

Work History

Director

El Paso County Animal Welfare
03.2020 - 03.2024
  • Provided vision and leadership in administering all Animal Welfare activities
  • Directed strategizing, planning, organizing, reviewing, designing, and evaluating of the overall operations and development of the department
  • Responsible for all administrative, personnel and department operations; provides management, administration, organizational leadership, and team building
  • Develops new policies and programs designed in the interest of improving efficiency, productivity, cost control, and effectiveness
  • Promoted a work culture that is sensitive and responsive to the needs, interests, and values of the organization and the community
  • Developed the Pet Wellness Clinic, offering no cost and low cost spay/neuter procedures and wellness services for the owned pets and rescue partners in the community
  • Developed the Foreign Veterinarian Pathway Program in partnership with Medical University in Juarez, Mexico
  • Universidad Autonoma De Ciudad Juarez UACJ
  • Obtained 1.3 million FY23 Congressional Appropriations grant
  • Awarded Agency of the Year 2023 from the Animal Control Podcast

Executive Director

Broward County Animal Services
03.2018 - 03.2020
  • Provide direct oversight of a $6.5M budget, ensuring fiscal goals
  • Plan, organize and direct the activities of the County's Animal Care and Adoption Division, including an intake of 14K+ animals to date
  • Perform highly responsible management and administrative work for 85+ staff members
  • Oversee Shelter Operations, Field Services, Admissions, Adoptions, Foster Programs, Veterinarian services, Outreach Programs, Pet Shelter Enrichment, Animal Care and Community Engagement
  • Serve as media representative for video, audio, and written interviews, and crisis communications
  • Implementation of emergency protocols during extreme weather events
  • Developed and maintained strong relationships with rescue partners and key stakeholder groups
  • Updated the agency's No Kill Strategic Plan, resulting in an increase of the live release rate from 76% to 90% within one year
  • Recruited over 300 new volunteers to Broward County Animal Shelter
  • Increased TNR and RTF program for cats in Broward County and saved over 2,600+ felines reducing shelter intake and supporting healthy community cat programs
  • Obtained Maddie's fund grant, Best Friends, private donations, and Pet-Co grant, giving Broward County $550,000+ to save more animals

Volunteer Coordinator

Austin Animal Center
05.2011 - 02.2018
  • Conduct needs assessment study
  • Develop and conduct on-going in-service training programs
  • Recruit/interview/select volunteers
  • Supervise/coordinate volunteer activities
  • Prepare/write statistical Reports
  • Conduct orientation session for new volunteers
  • Deliver speeches to civic and community groups
  • Developed and supervised a skilled volunteer-driven media/events team covering all networks, ABC, FOX NEWS, CBS, SPECTRUM NEWS, and NBC including the two Spanish speaking networks, Univision, and Telemundo
  • Developed Dogs 101 & Kittens 101, a prison program between Austin Animal Center and Travis County Correctional Complex
  • Teaching Inmates a transferable skill to reduce the recidivism rate
  • A volunteer driven program

Lead Adoption Counselor

Austin Animal Center
05.2001 - 05.2011
  • Managed and coordinated day-to-day operations of assigned program area(s)
  • Oversaw the full range of senior lead activities including selection, training, evaluation, counseling, and recommendation for dismissal of staff members
  • Managed the day-to-day tasks with positive leadership of 10-20 staff members to achieve defined goals within tight deadlines
  • Over two thousand pets place into homes!
  • Austin Woman Finds Homes for More Than 2,000 Pets (spectrumlocalnews.com)

Education

Bachelor of Arts - Psychology

California State University, Northridge
01.2017

Skills

  • Shelter Management
  • Volunteer Recruitment
  • Grant Writing
  • Social Media
  • Community engagement
  • Relationship building
  • Budgeting and financial management
  • Strategic planning

Certification

  • Best Friends Executive Leadership Certification, 01/2023
  • HSUS EXPO, 01/2019, 01/2021, 01/2022, 01/2023
  • American Pets Alive, 01/2015, 01/2016, 01/2017, 01/2018, 01/2019
  • Best Friends Conference, 01/2018, 01/2021, 01/2022, 01/2023
  • Dogs Playing for Life, 01/2016, 01/2017, 01/2018

Hobbies and Interests

  • Hiking
  • Travel
  • Volunteering
  • Cooking

Timeline

Director

El Paso County Animal Welfare
03.2020 - 03.2024

Executive Director

Broward County Animal Services
03.2018 - 03.2020

Volunteer Coordinator

Austin Animal Center
05.2011 - 02.2018

Lead Adoption Counselor

Austin Animal Center
05.2001 - 05.2011
  • Best Friends Executive Leadership Certification, 01/2023
  • HSUS EXPO, 01/2019, 01/2021, 01/2022, 01/2023
  • American Pets Alive, 01/2015, 01/2016, 01/2017, 01/2018, 01/2019
  • Best Friends Conference, 01/2018, 01/2021, 01/2022, 01/2023
  • Dogs Playing for Life, 01/2016, 01/2017, 01/2018

Bachelor of Arts - Psychology

California State University, Northridge
LAURALEI COMBS